Switch



E. T. PLATZ March 7, 1944.

SWITCH Filed Nov. 6, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 evo lOl

lOl L5:

. "OFELTRIPPED Lig FIRST PART OF RESET pin B8 of a contacter l1 having a. contact 8l for by the relatching cam lli.

Pleated Mu. 7, 1944 UNITED STATES swrrcn `Elwood T. Plats, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Bulldog' Electric Products Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of-West Virginia Application November 3, v1942, Serial No. 464,774

3 Claims.

This application relates to switches, generallyresembling the one shown in my prior applicatlon,-Serial No. 451,431, illed July 18, 1942. The

switches hereof are shown in the appended draw.. ings. 5

In these drawings, Figs. 1-6 and 7-9 show two diilerent but similar switches. t Figs. 1-3 are different position views, as indicated, in section.

4 is a transverse section view. Fig. E shows the casing, partly browen away. Fig. 6 shows the parts of the embodiment of Figs. 1-6.

Figs. 7-9 are diierent position views, as incli-4 cated.

Figs. 10-11 are section views on lines iii-il H--iLof Fig. '7. Figs. 1-6 show a switch having a casing Il in which is slidably movable an actuator in the forms20 of a push button 8i constantly biased outwardly by a spring 82 within it and seated in a groove l! of the casing. Within the casing is a plate or carrier 84 having a hole B5 -receiving a pivot 2o engaging a stationary 'contact 89. Riveted at Il to the contacter is a bimetal strip 9i having an end formed as a latching hook $2, and a oxible connector 93 establishes connection between the free end of the bimetal strip and a load terminal A coil spring 95 has one end seated in the casing at 98 and its other end engages a seat 91 ci the contacter ll. A thin metal il Ashaped strap 98 has two separate parts, moving in unison; one part is an unlatching cam $9 and the other part is a relatching cam lli; strap t! is nxedly mounted on the push button or handle Ii. f

The plate M has guide portions lli for guida@ ing the motion of this plate in the casing, these portions engaging side walls o! the casing. Plate Il also has a holding means or latching surface III to be engaged by an edge of the hook 82 or latch of the contacter. Plate 84 also has a handle limiting pin i adapted to be engaged by the slot ill of the relatching cam ill and also Ahas a relatching groove IUS adapted to be engaged The casing has a stop i adaped to be engaged by the contactar in open circuit position. 59

In the closed circuit position the parte are as indicated in Fig. 1 with slot Il! receiving pin I of the plate, so that the bias oi spring I2 to thrust handle Il 4to extreme outward position is in- `iibited, handle Il remaining in an intermediate (Cl. 20G-116) position, and with the contactor latched to the plate 84 and with the circuit closed at Spring 95 biases the parts for contact pressure.

The circuit may be opened, manually, by pushing the handle 8| inwardly whereupon unlatching cam 99 cams or pushes latch 92 out of engagement with`the latching surface or holding means' il), or automatically, 'by warping of bimetal strip 9| also to pull latch i 2 oil? plate portion 93, whereupon spring 95 rocks the contacter to open circuit position, Fig. 2, the contacter being stopped by casing stop i011 In such action the contactor will move the relatching cam IN yto release the engagement of that cam with pin IM of the plate M, thus freeing handle Il for outward movement, and to move the relatching cam IUI ltowards the notch 08 of plate I4.

When the contacter is biased by its spring 95 to move the relatching com -lili away from pin l, it first pushes cani lill lagainst the portion ill of theplate B4 and the parts there remain until the handle is released by the operator to be pushed outwardly to extreme position by spring 81. When the handle is thus released, the contactor continues to bias cam it! and pushes that cam into alinement with the notch |06 of the plate 84, the end oi the cam lili clearing and crossing over the hump that deiines notch it@ oi plate 84. This places the cam Ni into relatch ing position.

For reiatching the contactor, and initiating the reclosing of the circuit from the open circuit position, the handle il is pushed inwardly and be cause cam it! is olined with the notch lli of the plaie M, handle movement pushes plate at inwardly and this causes the contacter to rock clockwise on its pivot @t because ci its engagement with stop lill to return to latching position with respect to the plate 84 while maintaining contact separation. This frees the cam ill from. the influence oi the contacter and the contactor spring 95. Now when the handle is released, the handle will he pushed outwardly by spring 32, and the cam iol will leave the notch itl and return to the closed circuit position where it is well clear oi surface it! of plate Il, to place slot itt over pin lili, so that travel outward of the handle may be limited by the hold on pin i of the plate u provided by slot N5, to indicate the contacter position.

When the cam III leaves plate notch i, it frees that plateand the contacter and thereupon spring 05 will bias the contactor 81 and the plate N towards contact I9 until the circuit is closed at ll-ll.

It will be observed that whereas in the construction shown `in application Serial No. 51,431, there is employed a relatch cam, and a translator pivotally connected to the contactor, and separate from the relatch cam, and biased by the contactor spring directly, to move in response to f contactor movements, in this construction, cam

IM performs all of the functions of the transy lator and reiatch cam of `Serial No. 451,431.

In the embodiment of Figs. 7-9, the contactor is latched directly to the-casing, rather than to contactor |84, pivoted to the casing by the pin waa, but when this contactor moves to the open circuit position, under the. bias of spring with, its lug |65 moves strip |82 to be directly above relatching lug |86 of the contactor, where by downward push on the handle |83 causes relatching of the unlatched contactor to the case at |8|, while maintaining contact separation.

The edge |8lof strip |82 is in the form of a cam arranged for engaging the hook end of latch a support member, and the relatching cam and |89 and releasing it olf the holding surface Ii of the case. f'

'I'he contactor has a portion |88 riding on the casing wall |89 for guiding the contactor in its movement; and pivot pin |84a has one end seated in a casing recess and the other held in place by acoilspring 89|. c I

Otherwise, the action of the parts is substantially the same as that just described for the emybodiment of Figs. l-G.`

1.' In a switch, a stationary contact, a movable contactor for engaging it, a latch for the `contactor, spring means for moving the contactor towards and for urging the contactor against the conta'ct when the contactor is latched, and for moving the contactor from the contact when the contactor is unlatched, an actuator. an unlatcling means for unlatching the contactor, when it is latched, and a relatching means for relatching the contactor when it is unlatched,*ithe re- `latching means leing movable by the contactor when the latter moves upon being unlatched for moving to a position where it can cause contactor relatching on the next movement of the relatching means, the unlatching and relatcliing means being carried by the actuator to move in unison with each other and the actuator, and being separate' elements.

2. vIn a switch, a stationary contact. a' movable contactor for engaging it, a latch for the contactor, spring means for moving the contactor towards and for urging the contactor against the contact when the contactor is latched, and for moving the contactor from the 'contact when the contactor is unlatched, an actuator, an unlatch ing means Vfor unlatching vthe contactor, when it is 1atched, and a. relatching means for relatching the contactor when it is unlatched, the relatching means being movable by the contactor when the latter moves upon being unlatched for moving to a position' where it can cause contactor relatching on the next movement of the relatching means, the unlatching and relatching means, being carried by the actuator and being integral. 3. In a switch, a stationary contact, amovable contactorior engaging it, a latch for the contactor, spring means for moving the contactor towards and for urging the contactor against the contact when the contactor is latched, and for moving the contactor from the lcontact when the contactor is unlatched, an actuator, an unlatching means for unlatching the contactor, when it is latched, and a relatching means for relatching the contactor when it is unlatched, the re- 40 latching means being Amovable by the contactor when Athe `latter moves upon being unlatched for moving to a position whereit can cause contactor relatching on the next movement of the relatch- Y 'ing means, the unlatching and relatching means, being carried by the actuator to move in unison with each otherfand the actuator. y

' Y ELWOOD T. FLATZL 

